inhabit
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to live or dwell in; occupy
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archaic (intr) to abide or dwell
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inhabitableadjective
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preinhabitationnoun
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inhabitabilitynoun
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preinhabitverb (used with object)
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reinhabitverb (used with object)
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inhabitationnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have inhabitedperfect
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has inhabitedperfect 3rd person singular
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inhabitssingular 3rd person
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has been inhabitingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are inhabitingprogressive
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inhabitingparticiple
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am inhabitingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been inhabitingperfect progressive
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is inhabitingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had inhabitedperfect
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were inhabitingprogressive plural
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inhabitedparticiple
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was inhabitingprogressive singular
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inhabitedsimple
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had been inhabitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inhabit
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin inhabitāre, equivalent to in- in- 2 + habitāre “to dwell” ( see habit 2); replacing Middle English enhabiten, from Middle French enhabiter, from Latin as above
Explanation
When you inhabit a place, you live there. When actors inhabit their roles, they seem to become the characters, no longer actors reciting their lines. It is like they live the life of the character. The verb inhabit comes from the Old French enhabiter, meaning “dwell in.” You can inhabit an actual place, like a home, a cave, or a neighborhood. You can also inhabit an imaginary world, like those who choose to inhabit cyberspace with a made-up persona, telling about experiences that are nothing like the person's real life. Actors who truly inhabit their roles sometimes struggle to return to reality after a movie or television show wraps.
Vocabulary lists containing inhabit
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The name "muraria," derived from the Latin word for "wall," highlights its tendency to inhabit building walls and subtly references the band's famous album The Wall.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
The annual Manx Wildlife Week aims to encourage people to connect with the island's countryside, glens, hills and sea, as well as the creatures and plants that inhabit them.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
Not to debate it, not to tolerate it, but to actually inhabit it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Perspective-taking is the ability to genuinely inhabit another point of view.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
I make a meal out of the smaller, bonier fish that inhabit the stream down here, fill every water container and purify it, and clean my weapons.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
